Education Reporter

EWA; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Disability coverage

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Vision and dental (voluntary)

Job summary

Colorado Public Radio is seeking an Education Reporter to cover Colorado’s education landscape from early childhood through higher education. You will report and publish stories for radio and digital platforms, producing daily newscast spots and longer enterprise features.

You will track state policies, funding decisions and legislation shaping education, while bringing diverse community perspectives to audiences across the state.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of beat reporting experience, including developing sources and producing fair, accurate journalism.
• Knowledge of Colorado education landscape, districts, colleges and universities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced digital environment and report in the field.
• Experience with audio reporting and editing.
• Commitment to inclusive sourcing and diverse perspectives.

Responsibilities

• Report and publish stories for radio and digital platforms on Colorado education.
• Produce daily newscast spots and digital stories; develop longer enterprise pieces.
• Track education policies, funding decisions, and legislation at the Statehouse and report on impacts to communities.

Skills

Beat reporting

Source development

Daily/breaking news

Audio reporting

Diversity sourcing

Deadline-driven

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in journalism or related field

Job description

Education Reporter, Colorado Public Radio

Who We Are:

Colorado Public Radio is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that produces meaningful news, music, and cultural experiences to everyone in Colorado using the power of the human voice in all its forms. 100 percent of CPR’s funds come from the private support of listeners, businesses and foundations. For more information, visit www.cpr.org.

• CPR News delivers in-depth, insightful and impartial news and information from around the world, across the nation and throughout Colorado, examining its relevance to our state and connecting it to our community.

• CPR Classical takes listeners on an in-depth exploration of thoughtfully curated music – with an emphasis on Colorado’s classical community – providing context to a broad range of meaningful and compelling works from past to present.

• Indie 102.3 takes listeners inside the world of new and independent music – exposing them to up-and-coming artists and highlighting Colorado’s local music scene.

• Denverite is an online news source dedicated to Denver’s curious and concerned.

• KRCC is a public radio station in Colorado Springs, Colorado, serving Southern Colorado. KRCC is operated by Colorado Public Radio in partnership with Colorado College.

Our values inspire, inform and guide our everyday actions. They serve as a set of expectations and a promise we make to ourselves, our partners and audiences.

• Creative Curious Ethical Inclusive Respectful

At Colorado Public Radio we are committed to cultivating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workplace that helps us represent the voices of the communities within Colorado. We highly encourage individuals with unique contributions such as ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity, nation of origin, age, language, veteran status, color, religion, disability and sexual orientation to apply to our openings. CPR is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.

Colorado Public Radio (CPR) is seeking an Education Reporter.

About the Position: The Education Reporter reports and publishes stories for radio and digital platforms, covering Colorado’s education landscape from early childhood through higher education and adult learning. You’ll produce daily newscast spots and digital stories while also developing longer-term features and enterprise reporting. You’ll track the policies, funding decisions, and legislation shaping education at the Statehouse while also reporting on the people and communities impacted by those decisions. Your coverage will reflect the breadth of Colorado, with a focus on bringing the experiences and perspectives of a range of communities and regions to our audience.

The new hire is expected to reside in the greater Denver metro area upon starting – this is not a remote position. However, a hybrid schedule is available that requires a minimum of 3 days in the office each week (Tues – Thurs).

About You:

You’re a responsive, adaptable, and reliable reporter, driven by curiosity and a genuine interest in connecting with people and finding the human stories behind complex issues. You’re comfortable reaching out to people you don’t know, building relationships, and reporting in the field, with a commitment to inclusive sourcing and developing a diverse range of sources and perspectives. Strong organization and time management help you balance the pace of daily news with longer-term enterprise reporting, while flexibility allows you to quickly pivot as news develops. You’re a creative and collaborative storyteller who enjoys working across digital and audio formats and with colleagues to strengthen your work. You’re genuinely interested in how education policy takes shape and moves through the Statehouse, and energized by the opportunity to explain its impact on communities across Colorado.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A minimum of 3 years of beat reporting experience, including pitching stories, developing sources, covering daily and breaking news, and producing fair, accurate journalism that reflects varied human experience.
• Knowledge of school districts, school boards, colleges and universities, and the structures and processes that shape their work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively, meet deadlines, switch between tasks as necessary, and work in a fast-paced, digital environment.
• Experience with audio reporting and editing.
• Demonstrated experience earning trust and reporting on issues impacting underserved communities.
• A valid driver’s license and clean driving record is required as this role needs access to reliable transportation to respond with urgency to news events. Newsroom vehicles will sometimes be available for your use.

Education Equivalency:

• A fully relatable bachelor’s or master’s degree may replace some (not all) of the required years of experience needed to qualify for the position, but is not required for the role.

Even if you don’t meet every qualification listed, we’re interested in candidates who can bring unique skills, perspectives, and experiences to the role. At Colorado Public Radio, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, equitable and authentic workplace. If you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t perfectly align with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply as you may be the right candidate for this or other roles with us.

Benefits:

Colorado Public Radio is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our culture of caring. Our employees have access to: 100 percent employer paid individual health, life, and disability coverage; an outstanding paid family medical leave policy plus paid holidays and a very generous sick, vacation, and personal time off plan; voluntary offerings such as vision and dental; a competitive retirement plan match with no waiting or vesting periods; flexible schedules; engagement and development opportunities; and a casual atmosphere.

Position Information:

Position Type: Full-time

Hiring Range: Grade 17 – $64,821 – $80,916

Structure Title: Reporter, Education

Starting Pay: based on experience

Application Deadline: This position was posted on October 13th. While we sometimes keep our roles open for 30 days, we recommend you apply as soon as possible as the posting may close before November 14th if we have a strong candidate pool.

Incomplete Applications will not be considered.

At Colorado Public Radio we are committed to cultivating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workplace that helps us represent the voices of the communities within Colorado. We highly encourage candidates with unique contributions such as ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity, nation of origin, age, language, veteran status, color, religion, disability and sexual orientation to apply to our openings. CPR is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team. If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.